The scenario that receives the least public attention in Taiwan Strait analysis is probably the most likely path by which Beijing would attempt to compel Taiwanese political capitulation: a maritime blockade that cuts off Taiwan’s trade without the military and political costs of a full amphibious invasion. Taiwan is an island. It imports approximately 98 percent of its energy and a significant portion of its food. Its export-oriented economy depends entirely on maritime access. A blockade that prevented ships from reaching Taiwanese ports would, within weeks, begin to produce economic and social conditions that make governance difficult and, within months, conditions that make it impossible. The strategic logic is coherent, the military execution is feasible, and the allied response problem is severe.